Noelle Flores Théard | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Noelle Flores Théard, MFA Photography ’14

Noelle Flores Theard is a Programs Associate at the Magnum Foundation. She holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, an MA in African Diaspora Studies from Florida International University, and an MFA in Photography from Parsons School Of Design. Before joining the Magnum Foundation, Noelle taught in the Art History and African Diaspora programs at Florida International University in Miami and was the photography coordinator for photography at YoungArts, a foundation that supports young artists in ten different artistic disciplines. In addition she worked for many years as a stringer for the Miami Herald. She is a cofounder of FotoKonbit, a non-profit that teaches photography in Haiti in order to provide Haitians with training and opportunities to tell their own stories through photography. Noelle was the Director of Photography for Dr. Yaba Blay’s book and web project titled (1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race.


(1)ne Drop

Noelle Flores Théard, MFA Photography ’14
2013
Book

People of African descent reflect a multiplicity of skin tones and phenotypic characteristics. Often times, however, when met by people who self-identify as ‘Black,’ but do not fit into a prototypical model of ‘Blackness,’ many of us not only question their identity, but challenge their Blackness, and thus our potential relationship to them. A multi-platform project, inclusive of a (forthcoming) full-color portrait essay book, online exhibit, and traveling exhibition & lecture, (1)ne Drop literally explores the “other” faces of Blackness – those who may not immediately be recognized, accepted, or embraced as ‘Black’ in this visually racialized society. (1)ne Drop seeks to challenge narrow, yet popular perceptions of what Blackness is and what Blackness looks like. On the whole, the project seeks to raise social awareness and spark community dialogue about the complexities of Blackness as both an identity and a lived reality. If we can recalibrate our lenses to see Blackness as a broader category of identity and experience, perhaps we will be able to see ourselves as part of a larger global community.

How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

I am an arts administrator at the Magnum Foundation, which supports photographers through grant making and mentorship.

Would you describe your career path as typical? Why or why not?

My path has been windy and I've been lucky to have travelled extensively and worked in numerous roles in the non-profit and education worlds.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

I have a responsibility to create pathways to equity for artists of color.

Leslie Jiménez | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Leslie Jiménez, BFA Fine Arts ’12

Leslie Jiménez is a Dominican-born multi-disciplinary artist and museum educator, based in NY.
Ms. Jiménez graduated from the prestigious Altos de Chavón School of Design, in the Dominican Republic. She was awarded a full scholarship from Parsons The New School, where she graduated with honors. Jimenez’ work has been selected for public art projects in Washington Heights and Harlem. She was invited to create a large-scale mural at El Museo del Barrio and recently collaborated on a tribute piece at Museum Mile Festival. Her work is included in the first Uptown Triennial in NY and it has been reviewed in the Financial Times and Manhattan Times. She is the recipient of the Sugar Hill Museum Residency award. Jiménez has been invited to talk about her work at El Museo del Barrio, CNN en Español, Rutgers University, City College, Art In FLUX and Parsons The New School.


Not For Coffee & Tea

Leslie Jimenez, BFA Fine Arts ’12
2013
Ceramic and human hair

This installation explores hair within the context of cultural identity, established standards of beauty and the effects of internalized racism in young girls. Using the Caribbean concept of coffee time "Cafecito" as a way to create a conversation.

How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

I make art every day in my studio and collaborate with other artists in various projects. I teach visual arts to children of low income at the community conservatory in The Heights and I talk about art and the power of representation to students and museum visitors at El Museo del Barrio.

Would you describe your career path as typical? Why or why not?

I wouldn't describe it as a typical career path. In art, there's no such thing. In my opinion, there is not a specific structure one has to go through. A career in art is very uncertain, and surprising at most. I describe my career path as a glorious exploration and the result of the work I've done in search for a balance between life and art.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

It has allowed me to engage in a self-discovery process to make art about issues I care about, and work with people in my community who are like-minded.

Alston Green | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Alston Green, CGRD Illustration ’72

Alston Green has enjoyed an extensive and exemplary career within the textile, home décor, and gifts and social expression industries. His passion and love for creating beautiful, functional products have prevailed throughout his career. Alston spent many years on Seventh Avenue, New York’s’ renowned epicenter of fashion, creating surface designs for children, women, men and home décor, as well as original patterns and textiles. Over time, he adapted his skills and talents when the greeting card industry came knocking. Alston developed and managed design exclusively for the Mahogany card and gift line, and worked on an assortment of products at Hallmark Cards Inc. in Kansas City Missouri – the world’s leading greeting card company. During his tenure at Hallmark, Alston had the opportunity to expand and redefine Hallmark’s ethnic products programs. In addition, he developed an array of products across the Hallmark brand. Alston’s bold, signature designs allowed him to soar to the top of his field, reshaping, redefining and reinvigorating the personal and social expression industry with products for the African American audience. This program radically changed how this underserved target market celebrates life’s occasions. Alston’s name was passed along to another social expression company on the west coast by way of design product brokers in China, who became aware of his work.


CREDIT Arash Fewzee, MFA Photo ’17

Various greetings cards created for the Mahogany Collection

Alston Green
CGRD Illustration ’72
Paper
1991-2000

The Mahogany Collection redefined Hallmark's legacy through its launch of products for the African American consumer. Green developed and managed design exclusively for the Mahogany Collection, a groundbreaking brand which expanded cultural expression and representation for African Americans, who were not previously marketed to by greeting card companies. This work pays homage to how the African American market expresses and celebrates life’s occasions. Each card represents different facets of life, including the celebration of parents, graduation, love, and African American church life. These greeting cards are just a small selection from the larger Hallmark Mahogany Collection, which radically changed how this underserved target market celebrates life’s occasions.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

I have used my personal strengths to augment my creative talents and application to design.

Are you still involved with Parsons?

I hope to be more involved in the future.

What advice would you share with current Parsons students?

Believe in yourself and your talents . Never be afraid to ask for help. LISTEN !!

Inyegumena Nosegbe | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Inyegumena Nosegbe, BFA Communication Design ’16

Inyegumena Nosegbe is an honors graduate from Parsons School of Design. She received her BFA in Communications Design in 2016 and delivered the commencement speech for her graduation ceremony. As a multidisciplinary designer, Inyegumena’s personal work materializes at the intersection of art, culture and the exploration of the evolving identity of the African Diaspora.


CREDIT: Arash Fewzee, MFA Photo ’17

DEAR WHITE AMERICA

Inyegumena Nosegbe, BFA Communication Design ’16
2015
Ink on newsprint

DEAR WHITE AMERICA is a collection of 10 newspapers that explores the idea of the black body as America’s #1 threat and target. Each copy is addressed to the most powerful system of oppression in today's society: white supremacy. Each copy contains a short body of writing and is signed with the full name of an individual who was unrightfully slain by the police. The form of the newspaper transforms into a poster with a full bleed image of the victim at her/his time of death. “I was very deliberate in the selection, editing, and cropping of these images. It was important to show the victims in a state of extreme vulnerability, just moments before their deaths. All of the images were pixelated and saved at a low resolution to comment on the fact that these victims were of little to no importance to the system/society/oppressor. Finally, some images show those who have inflicted trauma on the victims (e.g., the police).”

How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

I work at a creative ad agency creating extensive campaigns for beauty, luxury and fashion brands. I work on branding, digital strategy, activations, moving image and act as an art director on photoshoots and film/documentary/tv sets.

Would you describe your career path as typical? Why or why not?

No. Everything happens for a reason. I am extremely happy with where I am and I cannot imagine it any other way. I had always been interested in art and design but did not seriously pursue it until Junior year in High school (2011). Around that same time, I decided that I wanted to go to Parsons. With little to no experience, I spent a lot of late nights trying to create a portfolio that was good enough to get me into Parsons. I applied, got accepted and began my freshman year as a CD major in 2012. The rest is history.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

My identity is everything to me. It is who I am. It effects the lens through which I view art and design. It effects my interactions with friends and strangers. It inspires the projects that I choose to pursue. It effects the audience that I choose to speak to through my work. It effects the way I move through life and the decisions that I make in each moment.

Ron Morrison | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Ron Morrison, MS Design and Urban Ecologies ’15

Ron Morrison is a designer, artist, and urbanist. Their practice works to create strategies using art and design that help people understand how urban systems work and how to act within their fissures and inconsistencies. From these dissonant spaces, we learn to rework and retune systems towards an increased potential for collaboration and action. With a strong background in community development and social advocacy, they believe that people should have full access to shaping their cities and communities and see design as a medium for creating knowledge and moving beyond paralysis in the face of complexity. From building open source platforms to upend the continued practice of solitary confinement to crafting community-based archives to combat gentrification, their work investigates cartographies of slow violence, dispossession, embodied data, and blackness. They have been a collaborator with design teams that implemented projects in New Orleans, Ghana, Colombia, Ethiopia, New York, and Venice and have had work featured in AIA New York, the UN World Urban Forum, and the Tribeca Film Festival. Ron holds degrees in Psychology and Gender Studies, as well as a graduate degree in Design and Urban Ecologies from Parsons School of Design. They currently teach in the School of Design Strategies at Parsons School of Design.


Redtimed

Ron Morrison, MS Design and Urban Ecologies ’15
2014
web-based interactive mapping project

To understand the constantly disruptive present is to extend our fabulist arch back in time. Redtimed is a web-based interactive mapping project using redlining geographies taken from the 1938 Home Ownership Loan Corporation (HOLC) security maps as a lens to view contemporary tax lot and unit data in Upper Manhattan. Using the redlining maps, a foundation in which race was codified as data and equated with risk, this piece calls into direct question the slow violence of white supremacist logic hidden behind big data that we can still see the effects of today. By understanding the spatial histories of policy in this way we become better able to understand longstanding connections between dispossession, blackness, time, and policy.

The Argus Project

Raquel de Anda, MS Design and Urban Ecologies ’15; Ayodamola Okunseinde, MFA Design and Technology ’15; Gan Golan; Julien Terrell; Ronald Morrison, MS Design and Urban Ecologies ’15; Ligaiya Romero

Inspired by the Greek myth of Argus — the giant with 100 eyes who served as an eternal watchman for the gods — The Argus Project promotes a heroic narrative around citizen journalism and the courageous act of filming the police. A transmedia project that is part wearable device, part video installation, and part community organizing platform, The Argus Project jumps directly into the current debate over police accountability and state surveillance. The creators say, “Our goal is to challenge deep systemic mythologies that normalize police violence by creating a counter-myth that shifts power into the hands of communities. In doing so, we aim to help build a culture of accountability, increase community safety and reduce both state violence and the surveillance that it depends on.” The video traces the story of Argus, an awakening giant who serves as a metaphor for a citizen body opening its many eyes to the reality of police violence. Told through the eyes of Argus, the video reveals how policing has become an acute nexus of oppression, fusing unregulated state surveillance with the ability to commit physical violence with impunity. The result is a toxic combination aimed at the bodies of working-class people and people of color. In a time where we expect these challenges to increase, the story ultimately posits how we as citizens can concretely and effectively respond.

How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

I am endlessness engrossed by the mutual constitutive mutilectic between race and space as mitigated and codified by data. Day to day I spend my time reading and researching, teaching, sketching, always seeks new representational forms for articulating my research.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

This feels too large to condense into a Google Form. Come find me and let's chat.

What advice would you share with current Parsons students?

You are not bounded by falsely constructed imaginaries. Rather we must understand them and reinscribe our own alternatives ways to living and thriving.

Jeff Staple | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Jeff Staple, Illustration

Jeff Ng (aka “jeffstaple”) is an established graphic and fashion designer, curator, branding expert, footwear aficionado, and all-around creative visionary. He founded Staple Design, Inc. in 1997: now a well-known streetwear brand (@StaplePigeon), creative consulting agency (Staple Design) and retail concept (@ReedSpace, founded in 2002). Some clients include HBO, Levi’s, Sony, Microsoft, Nike, Burton Snowboards, LVMH, Uniqlo, Kid Robot, Kia and ESPN. Over the years, Jeff has taken Staple’s motto, “A Positive Social Contagion” to whole new levels, spreading his instinctual design know-how and fresh knowledge across all media platforms and worldwide.


CREDIT: Arash Fewzee, MFA Photo ’17

Head Lines

Jeff Staple, Illustration
2010
Wood, silkscreen, ink

This piece is a massive enlargement of an actual headline from The New York Post newspaper on Nov 4th, 1983. The case involved Michael Jerome Stewart from Brooklyn, NY, who was a graffiti artist that died following an arrest by NYC Transit Police for spray-painting graffiti on a subway station wall at First Avenue. The piece is a reflection of the constant struggle between authorities and at-risk youth and their options for self-expression. It is also a nod to how artists and creatives are “beaten and strangled” by corporations and society at large.

How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

Constantly finding the balance between passion and RENT.

Would you describe your career path as typical? Why or why not?

No. I dropped out of both schools. Started my brand in the silkscreen lab of Parsons and the rest is history.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

Being a minorty in every aspect of my life and career is constantly on my mind.

Kaitlynn Redell | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Kaitlynn Redell, MFA Fine Arts ’13

Kaitlynn Redell is a visual artist based in Los Angeles, CA. She received her BFA from Otis College of Art and Design in 2009 and her MFA from Parsons School Of Design in 2013. Her practice is invested in the exploration of race and gender in relation to the body and how the body becomes codified within these socially constructed categorizations. More specifically she is interested in juxtaposition and how “unidentifiable” bodies—that do not identify with standard categories—negotiate identity. She has participated in numerous exhibitions nationally and internationally including at El Museo del Barrio (NYC), Rush Arts Gallery (NYC), A.I.R. Gallery (NYC), Western Project (LA), Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LA), Charlie James Gallery (LA) and Museo Laboratorio – Ex Manifattura Tabacchi (Italy). Her work is currently on view at the 32nd Biennial of Graphic Arts: Birth As Criterion, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In October, she will have work included in No Longer Negotiable at Nous Tous in Chinatown, Los Angeles.


Domestic Air, Space

Kaitlynn Redell, MFA Fine Arts ’13,
2017,
Cut digital C-print and balsa wood

In Domestic Air, Space, Redell explores the fluidity of memory and the influx nature of personal and collective histories via extensive research of her Auntie (Great Aunt) Hilda Yen. Yen was one of the first female, Chinese aviators (beginning in the 1930s) and was a member of the League of Nations and the World Women’s Party for Equal Rights. In this series of sculptural photo papercuts, Redell investigates the historical and personal mythology that has been built around her Auntie and how women like Yen are so often left out of “commonly known” history.

“Give your women legal equality willingly and in good spirit, or have it taken from you.” – Hilda Yen (1935 address to the League of Nations)

“I am interested in the fluidity of memory and the influx nature of personal and collective
histories, which has brought me to researching my Auntie Hilda (Yen). Hilda is an Auntie on
my mother’s side. She was one of the first female, Chinese aviators
(beginning in the 1930s) and was a member of the League of Nations and the World
Women’s Party for Equal Rights. I’m interested in the historical and personal
mythology that has been built around her and how women like her are so often left out of
“commonly known” history.

As I’ve gotten deeper into the research she’s become more and more fascinating to me in
terms of how she’s been represented (or not) as a historical figure. Equally there is this
whole other side in relation to my family’s personal memories of her. I’m interested in the
kind of dovetailing between my mother and uncle’s fragmented memories of her and the
glimpses of her representation in printed “history” (newspaper articles, League of Nations
documents). A lot of the documentation is so representative of the racial and gender biases
of the time period; I’m interested in how that narrative frames the information provided and
only tells a fragment of the story.

I think that one–unnervingly contemporary–quote from Hilda’s 1935 address to the League
of Nations sums up how I interpret her mythology: “Give your women legal equality willingly and in good spirit, or have it taken from you.”.”

kaitlynnredell.com


How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

Being an artist and independent contracted arts educator is all about juggling, self motivation and being a proactive about getting yourself and your work out there.

Would you describe your career path as typical? Why or why not?

No. I learned a trade prior to higher education to put myself through school.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

In all ways.

Ayodamola Okunseinde | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Ayodamola Okunseinde, MFA Design and Technology ’15

Ayo is an artist and interactive designer living and working in New York. He studied Visual Arts and Philosophy at Rutgers the State University of New Jersey where he earned his B.A. His works range from painting and speculative design to physically interactive works, wearable technology and explorations of Afrofuturism. Okunseinde was the co-founder and creative director of Dissident Display Studios, an award-winning studio and art gallery based in Washington DC. As a collaborator with, amongst others, choreographer Maida Withers, Carmen Wong, and Yoko K., Okunseinde has created several interactive performance-based works and has performed in several countries including Mexico, Finland, and Croatia. Okunseinde art residency participation includes Finland’s Invitation to Helsinki, IDEO’s Fortnight, and Eyebeam’s Creative Residency. Ayodamola (Ayo) Okunseinde holds an MFA in Design and Technology from The New School, Parsons School of Design in New York where he is currently an adjunct faculty member.


Iyapo Films: Artifact 12, Iyapo Films: Artifact 111

Salome Asega, MFA Design and Technology ’14 and Ayodamola Okunseinde, MFA Design and Technology ’15
2016, 2017 Video (Runtime 1:27), Video (Runtime 3:18)

Iyapo Repository is a resource library which houses a collection of digital and physical artifacts created to affirm and project the future of people of African descent. The collection is developed through a series of participatory workshops where participants become archivists of a future history they envision. Participants sketch out and rapid prototype future artifacts and the repository then works to bring a select few of these artifacts to life so that they are completely technologically functioning objects that stay true to the participants’ original blueprints. Pulled from our Moving Image Division, the films on display contextualize such artifacts. Alongside the artifacts and films, Iyapo Repository exhibits manuscripts, rare media, and more.

The Argus Project

Raquel de Anda, MS Design and Urban Ecologies ’15; Ayodamola Okunseinde, MFA Design and Technology ’15; Gan Golan; Julien Terrell; Ronald Morrison, MS Design and Urban Ecologies ’15; Ligaiya Romero

Inspired by the Greek myth of Argus — the giant with 100 eyes who served as an eternal watchman for the gods — The Argus Project promotes a heroic narrative around citizen journalism and the courageous act of filming the police. A transmedia project that is part wearable device, part video installation, and part community organizing platform, The Argus Project jumps directly into the current debate over police accountability and state surveillance. The creators say, “Our goal is to challenge deep systemic mythologies that normalize police violence by creating a counter-myth that shifts power into the hands of communities. In doing so, we aim to help build a culture of accountability, increase community safety and reduce both state violence and the surveillance that it depends on.” The video traces the story of Argus, an awakening giant who serves as a metaphor for a citizen body opening its many eyes to the reality of police violence. Told through the eyes of Argus, the video reveals how policing has become an acute nexus of oppression, fusing unregulated state surveillance with the ability to commit physical violence with impunity. The result is a toxic combination aimed at the bodies of working-class people and people of color. In a time where we expect these challenges to increase, the story ultimately posits how we as citizens can concretely and effectively respond.

How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

I work at a creative ad agency creating extensive campaigns for beauty, luxury and fashion brands. I work on branding, digital strategy, activations, moving image and act as an art director on photoshoots and film/documentary/tv sets.

Would you describe your career path as typical? Why or why not?

No. Everything happens for a reason. I am extremely happy with where I am and I cannot imagine it any other way. I had always been interested in art and design but did not seriously pursue it until Junior year in High school (2011). Around that same time, I decided that I wanted to go to Parsons. With little to no experience, I spent a lot of late nights trying to create a portfolio that was good enough to get me into Parsons. I applied, got accepted and began my freshman year as a CD major in 2012. The rest is history.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

My identity is everything to me. It is who I am. It effects the lens through which I view art and design. It effects my interactions with friends and strangers. It inspires the projects that I choose to pursue. It effects the audience that I choose to speak to through my work. It effects the way I move through life and the decisions that I make in each moment.

Isaac Paris | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Isaac Paris, BFA Communication Design ’78

Isaac Paris is a self-taught artist. He initially studied Communications Design for 2½ years at Pratt, however, he obtained his B.F.A. Degree, with Honors, at Parsons School of Design. Principal at I Paris Design. Clients have included Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Amistad Press, Inc., AVP (Anti-Violence Project, NYC), BAM (Brooklyn, Academy of Music), Authentic Hair Care Systems, Harlingen Veterinary Clinic, Essence Magazine, Foscarini Lighting, Italiana Luce International, Juilliard University of Music Dance and Drama, The New York Law School BLSA New Journal, RCA Records Label, Shang Records of Epic Records Label, Rory Sparrow Foundation, and Shaka King Menswear. He also works as a Senior Art Director/Designer at SGNET Solutions, LLC., Clients have included CAREGAIN Management of Health Care Benefits, The Diversity Advancement Project, Focustream (Video Streaming and Video Conferencing Technologies), Global Business Intelligence, Harlem Community Development Corporation, Heavy Hitters Music, The New England Journal of Medicine, Thinking Planet Productions, TIAA-CREF’s College Savings Plans, 1199 SEIU’s Child Care Fund and the Greater New York Child Care Fund.


The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS

Isaac Paris, BFA Communication Design ’78
3/1999, Updated 9/2017 Poster

“The Balm In Gilead commissioned me to create a positive visual image that would be used throughout the United States and Africa promoting the Black Church Week of Prayer For the Healing of AIDS. This visual image has been used on Magazine and Program Covers, Posters, Banners, Buttons, Tote Bags and other Promotional materials. The Balm In Gilead develops educational and training programs specifically designed to meet the unique needs of African American and African congregations that strive to become community centers for health education and disease prevention.”

How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

Revolving Creativity and Visual Communications.

Please describe your educational path, including formal and informal training or learning?

I studied Communications Design 2½ years at Pratt, but got my B.F.A. Degree, with Honors, at Parsons School of Design.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

I know I can create anything I desire.

Ken Tanabe | (under)REPRESENTED

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
66 Fifth Ave
Parsons School of Design

(under)REPRESENT(ed) is an exhibition that features Parsons alumni of color whose creative practices explore the lived experience of race and aim to dismantle systems of racism.


Ken Tanabe, MFA Design and Technology ’04

Ken Tanabe is a multidisciplinary creative director whose professional practice unifies design specialties, technical disciplines, educational spaces, social change, and public engagement with diverse audiences. His eighteen years of creative experience includes work for Google, Beyoncé, and Emmy-winning studio Imaginary Forces. He has fourteen years of teaching experience at Parsons School of Design, where he received the Distinguished University Teaching Award. He is the founder of Loving Day, a design-driven social change project that is celebrated in dozens of cities as the world’s largest network of multicultural community celebrations. His work in design and social change has led to over eighty public speaking engagements at places like the Global PR Summit and the HOW Design Conference. Ken Tanabe and his work have been featured by CNN, NPR, BBC World, Print, Fast Company, and many others.


Loving Day

Ken Tanabe, MFA Design and Technology ’04
2004
Video and Official Proclamation from the Mayor of New York honoring Loving Day

Loving Day is named after Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 Supreme Court decision that struck down laws against interracial marriage and relationships in the U.S. The project encourages everyone to commemorate the June 12th anniversary of the decision as Loving Day. It has grown from a Parsons MFA thesis in the Design & Technology program to the world's largest network of multiethnic community celebrations. These celebrations range from backyard barbecues to large public festivals. Many couples have chosen to get married on Loving Day. On June 12th, 2017, #lovingday was the #3 trending hashtag on twitter in the U.S. But at its heart, Loving Day was created as a tradition to unite diverse families and individuals who share a common yet rarely acknowledged experience. Video by Craig Nisperos.

How would you describe your day to day job and/or artistic practice?

Multidisciplinary creative director, community organizer, public speaker, Part-time Assistant Professor at Parsons School of Design.

Would you describe your career path as typical? Why or why not?

Definitely not typical. Loving Day was a key part of expanding my design practice from creating visuals to crafting experiences.

In what ways have your identities impacted your education and career paths?

My personal Belgian/Japanese/American identity led me to create Loving Day.